1. Rebuilding A Broken Life The Church in Recovery: Part IV Nehemiah (Selected Scriptures) Pastor Roger Watson

2. Rebuilding A Broken Life Learn to recognize the rubble in your life. Learn to use the rubble to rebuild your life. Learn to handle opposition while you are rebuilding.

3. Learn to Recognize the Rubble in Your Life Rebuildin g A Broken Life

4. Nehemiah 2:13 & 14 13 I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. 14 Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble.

5. 1. What is the rubble? Recognize The Rubble Rebuildin g A Broken Life A. The material placed for God’s original purposes. B. The physical representation of disobedience to God.

6. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 1:6 & 7 “6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! 7We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, laws, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.”

7. 1. What is the rubble? Recognize The Rubble Rebuildin g A Broken Life A. The material placed for God’s original purposes. B. The physical representation of disobedience to God. C. The residue that points to the promises of God.

8. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 1:8 & 9 8"Please remember what you told your servant Moses: 'If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations. 9 But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.”

9. 2. Present-day Rubble: Recognize The Rubble Rebuildin g A Broken Life Broken Marriages Rebellious Children Drug/Alcohol Addiction Sexual Abuse & Perversion Physical Abuse

10. 2. Present-day Rubble: Recognize The Rubble Rebuildin g A Broken Life Pornography Abortion Rape Racism Poverty

11. 3. Does rubble disqualify me from being effective? Recognize The Rubble Rebuildin g A Broken Life A. Not if it is committed to the Lord.

12. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 1:11 11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success now as I go to ask the king for a great favor. Put it into his heart to be kind to me."In those days I was the king's cup-bearer. BEGIN WITH PRAYER AND REPENTENCE

13. Learn to Use the Rubble to Rebuild Your Life Rebuildin g A Broken Life

14. Nehemiah 2:17 & 18 17 But now I said to them, "You know full well the tragedy of our city. It lies in ruins, and its gates are burned. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and rid ourselves of this disgrace!" 18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.They replied at once, "Good! Let's rebuild the wall!" So they began the good work.

15. 1. Decide to get rid of desolation and despair Use The Rubble To Rebuild Rebuildin g A Broken Life YOU WILL NEED: Awareness of you situation Motivation to rebuild Actions to go with intentions

16. 2. Understand that the rubble may fit differently than it once did. Use The Rubble To Rebuild Rebuildin g A Broken Life

17. Ecclesiastes 11:4 4 “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” “God is looking for a heart-condition, not a physical state of being.”

18. Koinonia: Committed To Rebuilding Lives Rebuildin g A Broken Life A. By releasing “wounded healers.” B. By encouraging “double duty.”

19. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:12-17 12The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, "They will come from all directions and attack us!" 13So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.

20. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:12-17 14Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the leaders and the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!”

21. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:12-17 15 “When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. 16 But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The officers stationed themselves behind the people of Judah.”

22. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:12-17 17 who were building the wall. The common laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.”

23. Koinonia: Committed To Rebuilding Lives Rebuildin g A Broken Life A. By releasing “wounded healers.” B. By encouraging “double duty.” C. By calling each other out of our comfort zones.

24. Learn to Handle Opposition when Rebuilding Rebuildin g A Broken Life

25. Types of Opposition Rebuildin g A Broken Life 1.RIDICULE (4:1-3) The Voice of Ridicule: “Your efforts will amount to nothing”

26. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:1-3 1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, "What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they are doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a day if they offer enough sacrifices? Look at those charred stones they are pulling out of the rubbish and using again!"

27. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:1-3 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!"

28. Types of Opposition Rebuildin g A Broken Life 2.THREATS (4:7-8) The Voice of Threats: “I will do whatever it takes to stop you.”

29. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 4:7, 8 7 “But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall were being repaired, they became furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and to bring about confusion there.”

30. Types of Opposition Rebuildin g A Broken Life 3.FEAR (5:1-5) The Voice of Fear: “Your family will suffer if you do this.”

31. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 5:1-5 1 About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. 2 They were saying, "We have such large families. We need more money just so we can buy the food we need to survive." 3 Others said, "We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine."

32. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 5:1-5 4 And others said, "We have already borrowed to the limit on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. 5 We belong to the same family, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others."

33. Types of Opposition Rebuildin g A Broken Life 4.COMPROMISE (6:1-4) The Voice of Compromise: “It’s not worth the effort that it will cost you.”

34. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 6:1-4 1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained –though we had not yet hung the doors in the gates 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message asking me to meet them at one of the villagesin the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me,

35. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 6:1-4 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: "I am doing a great work! I cannot stop to come and meet with you." 4 Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.

36. Types of Opposition Rebuildin g A Broken Life 5.UNDERMINING (6:5-7) The Voice of Undermining: “I will defeat you because I have more power and authority than you.”

37. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 6:5-7 5 The fifth time, Sanballat's servant came with an open letter in his hand, 6 and this is what it said: "Geshem tells me that everywhere he goes he hears that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king.

38. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 6:5-7 7 He also reports that you have appointed prophets to prophesy about you in Jerusalem, saying, 'Look! There is a king in Judah!’ "You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me."

39. Types of Opposition Rebuildin g A Broken Life 6.SLANDER (6:10-13) The Voice of Slander: “People won’t follow you because they doubt your integrity.”

40. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 6:10-13 10 Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, "Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight." 11 But I replied, "Should someone in my position run away from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won't do it!"

41. Rebuildin g A Broken Life Nehemiah 6:10-13 12 I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he haduttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin by following his suggestion. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.

42. Rebuilding A Broken Life Learn to recognize the rubble in your life. Learn to use the rubble to rebuild your life. Learn to handle opposition while you are rebuilding.

43. Rebuilding A Broken Life The Church in Recovery: Part IV Nehemiah (Selected Scriptures) Pastor Roger Watson